Had a customer point out I was drying my tools wrong after 16 years in the shop

I always wiped my wrenches and sockets dry with a rag after washing them. Some guy waiting for his oil change watched me do it and goes, 'You know that traps moisture in the joints, right? Should let them air dry or hit em with compressed air first.' I laughed it off but then checked my 3/8 ratchet that I had for 8 years and sure enough, the internals were all crusty. Never even crossed my mind. Anybody else have something a random person called out that totally changed your daily routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

west.anna13d ago

Hmm, "traps moisture in the joints" sounds a little dramatic to me. I've been wiping my tools dry for years too and never had any issues, maybe it's just that one ratchet was gonna go bad anyway.

nelson.nancy13d ago

Wait, hold up @west.anna, you've been wiping tools dry for years and never had a single one lock up? That's like winning the tool lottery, I've had three die on me from that.